The Raven Cycle
by Kirihana
Summary: Raven thought she'd left everything behind her on Azarath, but when two boys show up on the Titans' doorstep asking for her help, a lot of secrets are going to come out...some of them deadly. COMPLETE, CH. FIVE UP!
1. The Athar

I started this a long time ago, before season four. So you'll have to take that into account. Forgive what ever formatting errors there are, I'm still getting used to this. This is a five-chapter story, by the way, with a BBRae pairing. Just not in this chapter. I'm assuming you can figure out who Rachel is. Oh, and the short dashed lines are to distinguish paragraphs. The long ones are between time periods. I'm still having formatting issues... UU

**The Athar**

**Prologue**

They were born on one of the coldest days of the year. Twins were rare on Azarath, so they would have been a curiosity even if they hadn't been fathered by the demon-king Trigon. Arella, their mother, was choosing names for them when the Azar arrived. She'd named the boy Raistlin, after her father, and had just decided on Rachel for the girl when the knock on the door came. The midwife went to answer it, fully intending to shoo away the visitor. But one does not "shoo away" the Azar, even if she is Fei, King Ward's twelve year old daughter. _Especially_ if the Azar is Fei.

Fei was remarkably mature for her age. She had to be, since she had become the Azar shortly after being selected as the last Azar's apprentice. She was the youngest Azar in history and also the youngest of the King's five daughters. She was not, however, one for formal small talk.

"The Athar is dead, Lady Arella."

In the corner, the midwife gasped. Arella frowned, not really understanding. "I am… sorry to hear that, your highness."

Fei sighed. "As you know, the child born an hour after the last Athar's death is Aura reborn, and the new Athar. The previous Athar died one hour and four minutes after midnight this day. When, may I ask, was your daughter born?"

Now Arella understood. "I'm not sure…"

"'Twas two hours and four minutes after midnight, to be sure, your highness!" the midwife piped up. "The boy was born six minutes later at two and ten, that's how I remembered." Arella glared at the talkative woman, but Fei smiled blandly. "Thank you, madam. Arella, that means your daughter is-"

"She cannot be the Athar."

Fei frowned. "May I ask why?"

Arella's gaze automatically went to the nearby cradle, where her precious- they were precious to her, despite their father- twins slept. "Her father…" Arella took a deep breath. "Their father is Trigon."

Fei was silent for a moment. Her gaze also went to the cradle. "All the better to serve the Darkness, then," the young Azar said quietly. She rose and left. Arella stood and looked down into the cradle at her children. Raistlin was asleep, his purple eyebrows furrowing his pale face in a distinct frown. Rachel- no, Aura, Arella corrected herself. That was what Death's ever-reborn servant was always called. The little girl was awake, and her violet eyes studied her mother carefully. Arella turned away. The child was no longer hers.

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**Six Years Later**

The beat of the drums echoed in the early morning as the procession approached the Two Temples. They stopped at the crossroads. To the right was the road to the White Temple, home of the Azar and the other priests and priestesses. Straight ahead was the school, where all of the children of Gypsophila were taught. A young girl stood at the end of this road. She was small for her six years, and paler than most Azarathians. Her hair was purple and her eyes violet. She wore a black cloak over her dress that made her look even smaller and paler. The Azar, now a young woman of eighteen, stepped forward. The hood of her white cloak was down, allowing her chestnut curls to cascade over her shoulders and down her back. She addressed the girl. "Who are you?"

"I am Aura, the ever-reborn," the child answered without hesitation.

"Whom do you serve?"

"Death alone is my Master; I answer only to him."

The Azar paused before the next question, as the ceremony dictated. "Who are you?"

"I am the Athar."

The Azar nodded, then turned to their audience. "Let all of Azarath hear: The Athar has returned once more." The Azar bowed to the girl, and then led her retinue down the right road. The only people left now were the girl and a woman, also clad in black. Both of their expressions were somber. Arella held out her hand. "Come, Aura." The girl took her mother's hand, and they went down the road to the left, to the Black Temple.

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**Four Years Later**

"Aura, did you hear? The Azar is reviewing all of the ten year old girls today!"

"So?"

Her best friend's reaction somewhat dimmed Tarisia's enthusiasm. "I forgot. You don't have to go, do you?"

Rachel made a face. "Fei says I should. She wants my opinion."

Tarisia shook her head. "I still can't believe that you call the Azar by her first name. Where's your respect?"

"She hasn't any," a young male voice answered. A boy the same age as the girls stepped out of the shadows. His purple bangs hung into violet eyes covered by wire-rimmed glasses. "Death alone is her master," Raistlin continued. "Why should she show respect to any _living_ thing?" Rachel glared at her brother. He didn't respond, just pushed his glasses back on his nose. Tarisia stuck her tongue out at Raistlin. "You sound bitter. C'mon, Aura, we're going to be late." The two girls walked away, leaving Raistlin with a self-satisfied smirk on his face.

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"Oh, did I tell you? My cousin Crow's coming to our school tomorrow. His family's moving here." Tarisia giggled. "He's really handsome, and I know he'll like you. Aura? Are you even listening?" Rachel, in fact, had not been listening. She had developed a habit of studying people as they talked, and she had been studying her best friend. Her only friend, if truth be told. Tarisia Majere was typical of Azarathians in appearance, with black hair and blue eyes. (Fei's mother, Queen Sheila, was from another planet. That's why Fei has brown hair.) "Rissy?"

"Yeah?"

"Why… why aren't you afraid of me?"

Tarisia frowned. "What do you…oh. Aura, I don't care that you're the Athar or about what the other kids think. What matters is that I think you're smart and pretty and a much better friend than any of them could ever be. Now, come on, before we're late. _You_ might not get in trouble, but I will." Rachel smiled and followed her friend to the White Temple. "And Rissy?"

"Yes?"

"Would you call me by my real name? Please?"

Tarisia smiled. "Of course, Rachel."

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"You saw the girls. What do you think?"

"I think that it isn't my place to decide the Azar's apprentice." Rachel said carefully. Fei laughed at the younger girl's reply. "Liar. You've already got one in mind." She flipped through the papers on all of the candidates. "Only a handful of these meet all of my requirements, but it helps if the Azar and Athar get along, even if you will both be old by the time my apprentice becomes Azar, the gods willing. So who should I pick?"

Rachel smiled slightly. "Tarisia Majere."

Fei pulled the file. "Hmm. Good family, good student and, I'm assuming, good friend." Rachel said nothing. The Azar grinned. "She'll do."

**----------------------------**

**Three Years Later**

"Tarisia Majere, Chromeros Blackbird, and Rachel Roth." Lady Rolias Noom sighed. "The Azar's apprentice, the King's great-nephew, and the Athar, and yet I should have known." The three teenagers looked back at the principal innocently, acting for all the world as if they'd done nothing wrong. Which they hadn't. That is, they knew no one could _prove_ they'd done anything. Lady Noom shook her head. "You three get sent here more than any of the other students, and I-"

"Excuse me, Lady, but we do need to go back to class," Crow interrupted. The principal glared at the dark haired boy. "Not today you don't. Nor tomorrow. The three of you are suspended."

"For what?" Tarisia asked indignantly, her blue eyes darkening.

"For disfiguring my statue in the front garden," Lady Noom answered.

"But there isn't any proof!" Crow and Tarisia protested at the same time. Rachel was silent, which bothered the principal even more. "I don't need proof," she replied staunchly. "You three are the only ones who could have done it and there will be no further discussion. If you are not off the school grounds in ten minutes, I will call the police. I'm calling your parents as it is." Lady Noom sat down, and the three trudged out of her office, Crow and Tarisia giving her various venomous looks and glares.

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"Two inexcusable, can't-make-them-up, completely missed days of school. Was it really worth it, Crow?" Tarisia asked. Crow grinned at his cousin. "You saw the statue, Rissy. You tell me." Tarisia laughed. Rachel smiled as well, though slightly. "I think calling it 'disfigured' is a gross understatement, considering the fact that it's now an extremely upright rabbit." They all laughed. "And to think the idea came from you three being bored to the point that you were making shadow puppets," Raistlin said, stepping from the shadows. He wasn't laughing, and the other three didn't notice the extreme sarcasm in his voice. "'Look, Raist, bunnies!'" Crow yelled. He and the girls dissolved into more fits of laughter. Raistlin simply shook his head. Rachel turned to her friends. "I'll see you tomorrow." They waved, and the twins headed down the road to the house behind the Black Temple.

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"Raistlin, why don't you ever laugh at Crow's jokes?" Raistlin glared at his twin sister. "If Crow's jokes were funny, rather than idiotic, perhaps I would feel the need to laugh at them. As it is, I feel no such inclination." Rachel sniffed. "You're just jealous because he thinks of things first." Raistlin scowled. "You like him."

"Who?" Rachel asked innocently.

"Crow. You like him as more than a friend."

Rachel blushed. "I do not!" she cried. "Besides, I bet you like Rissy!"

Raistlin simply looked at his sister. "I have done nothing to support such a preposterous notion." Rachel glared at him. Raistlin was impervious to that look, as he could have easily returned it. "Now, if you have nothing sensible to say, I am going to bed." He turned away and went upstairs. Rachel continued to glare after him. "Just because Mother's never here is no reason for you to be such an insufferable, know-it-all, jerk!"

Raistlin turned around and looked calmly at his sister. "Nor is it any reason for you to hang out with a juvenile delinquent. You don't hear what the other children whisper about us, do you? You don't hear them say that you're creepy, and morbid, and you'll probably turn on them and destroy-"

"Stop it!!" Rachel shrieked. "I hate you! I don't care that you're my brother, you're horrible and I hate you! Next time the bullies are tormenting you, I'm not going to defend you! I'll probably _help_ them!" She turned and ran to her own room. Raistlin continued up the stairs, a self-satisfied smirk on his face.

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Tarisia quickly removed the note attached to the owl's leg. It was in Rachel's handwriting, as she'd suspected. Rachel was the only other person Spot would go to, much less carry notes for. "Meet me at the crossroads at midnight. Bring a cloak that isn't black." Well, that was cryptic. It meant that Tarisia would have to sneak out of the Temple. Again. She shook her head. "Rachel, you and Crow are the real reason I get into so much trouble."

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Tarisia reached the crossroads just as the White Temple's clock began to chime. Rachel was waiting impatiently. "Did you bring it?" Tarisia held out the royal blue cloak she'd pulled from her closet. "All of my other ones are white, and I didn't think you wanted a white one." Rachel put on the blue cloak, and Tarisia took the black one. "Now what's this all about, Rachel?" The Athar looked at her best friend. "I'm leaving, Rissy." Tarisia rolled her eyes. "Well, yeah, you'd better. We'll both get in trouble if anyone catches us." Rachel shook her head. "No, I mean I'm leaving Azarath."

"What? Why?"

Rachel sighed. "Because I'm tired of being the Athar. I'm tired of just walking down the street while everyone stares at me like I'm a freak." Tarisia was silent for a moment. "Where will you go?" Rachel looked away. "I'm going to Earth. Tonight. The ship leaves in less than an hour." Tears began to fill the dark-haired girl's eyes as Tarisia leapt forward and hugged Rachel. "You're my best friend, you know that, right? I don't want you to go, but I know that I can't stand in your way." She released Rachel, who smiled sadly. "Thanks, Rissy." She turned and walked off into the darkness, leaving everything behind.

---End Chapter One---

Just in case you didn't figure it out (but I hope you did), Rachel will soon become Raven. The rest of the Titans will be in the next chapter. Review, please!


	2. Evening Shadows

I'm adding this because it's the only other chapter finished… You might have to wait a while for chapter three. Sorry! Shorter dashed lines between paragraphs, longer between time periods.

**Prologue**

The girl's eyelids fluttered.

"She is awakening!"

"Hey, are you okay?"

The girl opened her eyes. She sat up carefully. Four people were staring at her. The girl stared back. One of the guys seemed to be half robot, and another had green skin! The red-haired girl and the third guy looked normal enough, though the boy wore a mask that hid his eyes. "Where am I?"

"You're in Titans Tower," the masked boy answered. "I'm Robin, and this is Starfire." He gestured toward the redhead, who smiled brightly. "That's Cyborg." The half robot nodded. "And last but not least, Beast Boy." The green skinned boy smiled. "And you are?" the masked boy asked. The girl didn't reply. Rachel Roth, the Athar, daughter of Arella and the evil demon-king, Trigon, had been left on Azarath. She remembered Crow, and Tarisia, and…Raistlin. But they were all going to stay in the past. So who was she now? She remembered some poem that she and Rissy had read years ago, by a man from Earth. There was a line…'Quoth the Raven "Nevermore."' Rachel made a decision and hoped it was the right one. "My name is Raven." Robin nodded in apparent approval. "Well, Raven, we saw you use your powers. How would you like to be a Teen Titan?"

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**Evening Shadows**

_Rachel…_

"No. I won't listen to you!"

_You will listen, Rachel, and listen well. I am becoming impatient with you, child. You know that anger will eventually rule you, heart and soul. You cannot fight me forever._

"I can try!"

_And I suppose you expect me to become angry and kill you. Foolish girl. You are far too valuable for that. It would be a waste of all that talent. Talent you inherited from me._

"Don't expect any thank you notes."

_I see you are not ready. But mark my words, Rachel Roth, you will serve me. The day will come when you will destroy everything you hold dear in the name of Trigon._

Raven gasped and woke up. "No!" she whispered. "I won't!" A single tear slipped down her cheek. "I …won't…"

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Raven sat on the roof of Titans Tower. It was only four o'clock in the morning, but she couldn't sleep. Not after that dream. She stared out at Jump City Harbor. The dark waves against the starlit sky had a calming effect, and Raven felt slightly better. Behind her, someone opened the roof-access door and closed it. They tried to do it quietly, but Raven had excellent hearing. She also already knew who it was. Robin sat down beside her. "You okay?"

"Stupid question."

"Not really. Most people are still asleep at four in the morning."

"I'm not most people."

Robin sighed. "Raven…"

"I had a nightmare, okay? I had a stupid nightmare, and I couldn't sleep. So I came up here. Happy now?"

Robin frowned. "Are you sure that it was just a nightmare?"

"Yes."

"You're lying."

"Why is it you can always tell when I'm lying?"

Robin smiled. "It's a gift. Now tell me the truth."

Raven sighed. "It was more like…a vision. My fa-" She paused. "Trigon contacted me."

Robin's frown returned. "What did he say?"

Raven looked away. "I'd rather not talk about it."

Something streaked across the sky, but neither of the Titans noticed it.

"Raven, I can't help you if you won't talk about it."

Raven glared at Robin. "And what if I don't want any help?"

Robin stared at her, then sighed deeply. "Fine. I'm going back to bed. But…If you won't talk to me, at least talk to someone, okay?"

"Fine."

Robin smiled ruefully as he stood up. "You're lying again, but I'm not going to push it. See you at breakfast, Raven." He went back inside. Raven hugged her knees to her chest. Robin didn't understand as much as he thought he did. He didn't have powers. He didn't have to worry about destroying his friends.

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When the sun rose, Raven returned to her room instead of going to breakfast. She wasn't hungry, and she didn't want Robin looking at her in that way he had, as if he knew what she was thinking. Even though he didn't. Desperate for something to do, Raven began rummaging through her jewelry case. She hadn't really opened it since leaving Azarath, mainly because there'd been no need. Her hand brushed a small velvet-covered box, and Raven paused. She removed the box and opened it slowly. Inside, nestled in black silk, was a golden ring adorned with a single round garnet, her birthstone.

_"Here, Rachel." Rachel took the small box, curious. "What's this for?" Crow smiled. "It's your birthday tomorrow, isn't it? Your thirteenth birthday?"_

_"Yes, but…" Rachel opened the box. The ring sparkled, and she realized what Crow was getting at. "Oh. Oh…Crow, I…" He put a finger on her lips. "You don't have to answer yet. I'll let you think about it. Besides, it's just a betrothal. The engagement wouldn't be for another two years, and then we wouldn't get married until you turn sixteen." Rachel shook her head. "That isn't the problem, Crow. I'm the Athar. I'm not allowed to get married, just like Fei and Rissy." Crow smiled. "I know, but I'll find a way around that. Keep it anyway, will you?"_

Instead of closing the little box and putting it back, as Raven knew she should- hadn't she done that with the rest of her past?- she slipped the ring onto her left third finger. Then she put the box away and closed her jewelry case.

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It was dark and stormy that night, naturally. The Titans were gathered in the living room. Robin, Cyborg, and Beast Boy were playing some video game, and Starfire was cheering all of them (but mostly Robin) on. Raven was in a corner, rereading The Bad Beginning by Lemony Snicket, primarily because it suited her mood. Suddenly the doorbell rang. No one moved. Raven looked up. "You did hear that, right?" she asked the others.

"Yep," Robin replied. Raven frowned. "And one of you is going to go answer it, right?"

"Nope," Cyborg answered. Raven rolled her eyes. "Fine. I'll get it." She put her book down. The doorbell rang again as she reached the door, and Raven glared at it. "Just a minute!" She opened the door. Two cloaked figures, one tall and one roughly her own height, stood outside. "About time," the shorter one complained. Raven stared at them. "It's raining out here," the short one continued. "Aren't you going to invite us in?" Raven stepped back, and the two guests came in just as the other Titans appeared to find out why it was taking Raven so long to answer the door. They stared when the guests removed their hoods, because the short one looked like a male version of Raven. The other had shaggy black curls and bright blue eyes. The Titans looked back and forth from one to the other. "Um, Raye?" Beast Boy whispered not-so-quietly. "Who the hell are these guys?" Raven shook her head to clear it of the memories that were surfacing, but she didn't answer Beast Boy. Instead she turned to her look-alike. "What are you doing here, Raistlin? How did you find me?" Raistlin smiled. "Such a kind greeting for your twin brother. And you've completely ignored your fiancé."

"Twin brother?" Robin, Starfire, and Cyborg repeated."

"Fiancé?!" Beast Boy exclaimed.

Raven gave her brother a dirty look. "Crow is not my fiancé." Crow finally spoke up. "But Rachel, you're wearing my ring." Raven blushed, and Beast Boy grabbed her hand to look at the ring. She glared at him. "Let go." Beast Boy did so, grinning sheepishly. Raven turned to Crow. "And I'm not Rachel anymore; my name is Raven." Raistlin laughed. "Honestly, sister dear, you can't just change who you are." The Titans all glared at him, and he continued quickly. "But Crow and I came for a reason. Is there somewhere we can sit down?"

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"I need you to come back with us to Azarath," Raistlin said to Raven once everyone was settled. Raven stared at her brother. "What?"

Raistlin sighed. "I might have expected you would react like this. You know I wouldn't ask you to return unless there was a reason of the greatest importance." Beast Boy glared. "And that reason is?" Raistlin frowned. "This is something of a private matter." The other Titans frowned as well. Beast Boy turned to Crow, who had his arm around Raven's shoulder. "And you, hands off!" Crow removed his arm, and Raven gave Beast Boy her patented "death glare", telling him to stop interrupting, before turning back to Raistlin. "The Titans are my friends. Whatever you have to tell me, you can tell me in front of them." Raistlin sighed again. "Fine. The seal that closes off Trigon's dimension has somehow been…damaged. The Azar asked me to fix it, but my power alone isn't enough. Should the seal break, Trigon will wreak havoc on the entire universe." The Titans stood in silence for a moment. This was far beyond their usual save-the-city routine. Crow looked at Raven, using his most disarming smile. "You'll help, won't you, Rachel?" She hesitated, then glanced at Robin. Robin nodded, and Raven nodded back. "We'll do it."

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Once they were aboard Raistlin and Crow's ship, Crow went to talk to the captain, and Raistlin excused himself without giving a reason. Raven retreated to the cabin she was to share with Starfire, and the rest of the Titans gathered in the cabin the boys would share. "So," Robin began, "what do you all think of Raistlin and Crow?"

"I do not like how Raistlin called Raven 'sister dear,'" Starfire said. "It reminds me of _my_ sister." Cyborg nodded. "Yeah, there's definitely something shady about that guy." Robin sighed. "What about Crow?"

"He should rot in hell," Beast Boy muttered. The others looked at him. "What?" Robin shook his head. "He does not seem evil," Starfire said, "and he does seem sincere in his pursuit of Raven's heart." Beast Boy started grumbling to himself. "Star's right," Robin said. Beast Boy looked at him as though he were crazy. Robin smiled grimly. "We'll just have to wait and find out."

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"Gypsophila is our capital city. Over there is the Temple Crossroads, and there…" Crow was showing the Titans around town. He didn't appear to notice when Raven hung back as he led the others onward. Beast Boy, however, did notice. "Must be weird." Raven was jolted out of her thoughts. "Huh?"

Beast Boy smiled. "I said it must be weird, coming back to the place you grew up."

"You have no idea."

"Aura! Oh, Aura, it _is_ you!" a female voice cried. Raven and Beast Boy both turned around. The speaker was a pretty girl roughly their own age, with long dark curls and blue eyes the same shade as Crow's. Raven stared. "Rissy?" The girl nodded before embracing Raven. "Oh Aura, I've missed you so much! You never even told me-" Beast Boy cleared his throat rather loudly. Raven blushed, realizing she'd momentarily forgotten about her other friend. "Rissy, this is Beast Boy. Beast Boy, this is Tarisia Majere. She's Crow's cousin." Tarisia smiled. "Nice to meet you." She turned back to Raven. "Oh, Aura, it feels like it's been forever! And you still have that cloak I gave you!" Raven smiled sheepishly. "I kind of like it. And I thought we were past this 'Aura' thing." Tarisia blushed in embarrassment. "I'm sorry, I forgot it all the excitement of seeing you again." Raven shook her head. "It's all right. What about you? Is Fei keeping you busy?"

"Of course. But Rachel, where did you disappear to for the past three years? Everyone was so worried about you, and so much has happened…" Tarisia looked around suddenly. "Maybe we should take this elsewhere."

Raven frowned. "Where did you have in mind?"

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Moments later, the three teenagers stood in front of the Black Temple of the Athar. Raven stared at it. "I never thought I would see this place again."

"It's been empty since you left," Tarisia said. "Since no one knew if you had died or not, they couldn't look for a new Athar. So there hasn't been one."

"What's an Athar?" Beast Boy asked. Tarisia stared at Raven. "You never told him, apparently."

"I didn't tell anyone anything," Raven said quietly. Tarisia sighed. "Come inside, and I'll explain everything."

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The three sat down on the dusty black marble pews of the temple's main room. Tarisia shifted importantly. "First of all, Azarath has two high priestesses: the Azar and the Athar. While the next Azar is chosen and apprenticed by the previous one, a new Athar must be born. You see, the Athar is the priestess of the dark things in the world. She is Aura, the ever-reborn. When Aura dies, her spirit takes the body of the baby girl born an hour after her death. There always is one, and she becomes the Athar." Tarisia smiled. "Do you understand better now?"

Beast Boy nodded. "Except for where you come in."

Tarisia laughed. "I'm the Azar's apprentice."

Raven interrupted at this point. "You said things have happened since I left, Rissy. What sort of things?"

Tarisia sobered immediately. "Well, for starters, Raistlin disappeared the same night you did. He came back after a few months, and he was surprised to find you'd left. Everyone else was surprised that you hadn't left together. Since then, Raistlin's been really…I would say withdrawn, but he was always like that. He's more secretive, if that helps. And you won't believe this, but he's decided to become a priest!"

Raven stared. "No."

Tarisia nodded. "He has. And Crow's likely to be the heir to the throne. You know King Ward only had daughters, and all of them went and became either priestesses or nuns. Well, Fei is the Azar, but she still can't take the throne and her sisters won't. Crow's mother, Lena, was the daughter of the King's only sister. Since both the sister and Lena are dead, Crow and his brothers are the next in line. But Crow is the oldest, so he'll probably become king someday."

"No wonder his ego's so big," Beast Boy muttered. Raven glared at him, and then turned back to Tarisia. "So you call the Azar by her first name now?"

Tarisia grinned. "Yes, isn't it funny? After all I used to say to you about it, too. Nevertheless, I'm sure your other friends- and Crow and Raistlin, of course- are wondering where you are. Come on, I'll help you find them. They're probably at the White Temple."

---End Chapter Two---

So, what do you think? Tell me, please! I'll stop begging for reviews eventually, but not right now.


	3. Darkest Before Dawn

You guys have no idea how hard this chapter was to write. I started it almost three years ago, and I'm glad to have finally finished it. As the title implies, this story is about to get much darker. I will warn you now, bad things are going to happen and there won't be as many jokes. But I like my story, and I hope you do too. Review, please!

Same old routine, people. Dashed lines between the paragraphs. Oh, and since I forgot last time: I do not own the Teen Titans. I like to think that I own Crow and Rissy, but I don't own Raistlin's name.

**Darkest Before Dawn**

Raven sighed and pulled her knees up, resting her chin on them. She was on the roof of the White Temple, avoiding looking at the roof of the Black Temple that had served as her prison for most of her early life. Instead she looked at the skyline of Gypsophila, lit so much more elegantly than the familiar view of Jump City.

"Old habits die hard, I see."

Raven turned around to see Crow smiling at her. He sat down next to her, his longer legs stretched out over the roof's edge. Raven looked back out into the sky, staring at the last visible bit of sun on the horizon. Crow watched her. "I meant what I said, Rachel. It may have taken three years, but I was willing to wait then too. You aren't the Athar anymore, since you ran away, and even if you were I'm to be King and can do as I please. We can get married around Yuletide, and Rissy can be your maid of honor." Raven's eyes narrowed. "I'm not going to marry you, Crow." The dark-haired boy's expression was one of confusion. "But Rachel, you're still wearing my ring. Why else would you come back?" Raven pulled the garnet ring off her finger and handed it to a bewildered Crow. "I came back to fix the Seal, that's all. As soon as that's done, I'm going back to Earth with my friends. Whatever we had three years ago, Crow, I don't feel anymore." She stood to leave, but Crow grabbed her arm. "It's him, isn't it? The green-skinned boy?" Raven looked at him calmly. "I don't know what you're talking about." Crow released her, his mind reeling. "How could I not have seen it? The way he looks at you, how he's always with you… You two were together today too, weren't you? I know you came back with Rissy, but that doesn't mean anything." Raven kept any emotions that may have bubbled up in check. "Beast Boy is my friend, Crow. Nothing more." Crow laughed. "Maybe to you, but that can't be how he sees it. I should have known better than to think that you really cared about me. Why should the Athar care for any _living_ thing?" He turned and left Raven watching him go, shivering in the steadily colder air. Raistlin stepped from the shadows. "I said much the same thing about you once, only with regards to respect. If it helps, I think you've changed a great deal since you left." Raven really did not want to be around her brother right now, but she also knew she didn't have much of a choice. "You haven't, and it doesn't help. What do you want?" Raistlin pushed his glasses back on his nose, an annoyingly superior-looking habit he'd had since they were young. "I want to fix the Seal tonight. Meet me at the Black Temple Gates at ten." Raven turned away. "Fine." Raistlin smiled as he followed the path Crow had taken back inside.

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Crow wanted to brush Raistlin off, but he knew that wasn't an option. "Deal's off, Raist." The purple-haired boy frowned. "The deal is not off. You haven't carried out your part of the bargain. I can't help it if my sister doesn't want you." Crow shoved Raistlin against the wall of the otherwise empty hallway. "Liar. You can make a love potion or something. Something magical." Raistlin smirked. "I could, but I can't guarantee the results would be to your satisfaction." Crow let go of the other boy. "I don't care as long as she loves me and only me." Raistlin brushed himself off. "Then we don't have any problems, do we? Besides, won't it be a nice revenge on the people who took Rachel away from you?" He smiled more at the angry glint in Crow's ice-blue eyes. "I thought so. Use whatever methods you see fit, but try not to make too much noise. I don't need anyone interrupting the spell my sister and I will be performing." Crow paused. "If I kill them, you'll make her love me?" He half-expected Raistlin to grin, but Raistlin never grinned. It would look feral if he did. "Of course, your highness." Crow left, but Raistlin remained in the hallway. "Not that either of you will be alive to know it," he said to himself once Crow was gone. "I will sit upon a throne far greater than that of Azarath, and your bones will lay crushed at my feet. Who will laugh and make jokes then, Prince Chromeros?" He turned into another, smaller hallway.

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Raven met her brother at the appointed time and followed him silently into the Black Temple. Passing through the empty chapel, where she had spoken with Tarisia just this afternoon- it seemed like ages ago- was easy enough, but the private halls and rooms held more memories, none of them pleasant or comforting. She didn't want to be here, didn't want to have to see any of this place ever again, didn't… Raven took a deep breath. The soft voice of her childhood called to her, whispering that she must control her emotions. Since she was six years old Fei had taught her to meditate to gain control over her powers. Fei had taught Raistlin too, but he'd needed it so much less. She knew now it was because his powers weren't as strong as hers. Though he'd never admit it, that was why Raistlin needed her now. She paused in her thoughts when she realized they had reached their destination. Raven stared at the Seal, a large stone circle bearing the Mark of Scath, Trigon's symbol. The Seal was set into the wall of this room deep beneath the Black Temple. Raven wondered if this was why the Black Temple had been built in the first place. She then turned to her brother. "What must I do?"

"Just repeat what I say."

Raistlin began the spell, with Raven repeating his words. When he tossed some sort of dust in the air, the Seal cracked right down the middle. Raven stopped chanting, staring at her brother. He grinned, and almost insane gleam in his eyes. "It's beginning." Raven swallowed hard. "What's beginning? What just happened?" Raistlin laughed, the gleam in his eyes growing brighter by the second. "Exactly what I wanted to happen, sister dear." Raven shook her head. "I don't understand."

"He wanted your help to break the Seal, not fix it," Beast Boy said. He entered the small room, half-dragging a reluctant Crow. "While your brother brought you here, this guy tried to kill the rest of us." Raven stared at Crow, who hung his head. "I'm sorry, Rachel. However, I could not kill your friends. Instead I told them what Raistlin was planning, and _he_-" Crow gestured at Beast Boy "-brought me here." Raven glanced at Beast Boy. The changeling was glaring at Crow. Across the room, Raistlin's eyes narrowed. "So you've turned traitor," he hissed at Crow. Raven's twin smiled, and a chill went up everyone's spines. "Even better." He pulled Crow away from Beast Boy with his powers and slammed the Azarathian prince up against the Seal. Raven gasped and moved forward, but Beast Boy grabbed her arm and held her back. She fought him, and Beast Boy wrapped his arms around her tightly as they watched Crow struggle against the bonds of Raistlin's power. "Let me go," Raven hissed at her teammate. "Not on your life," Beast Boy replied. Raistlin laughed again, and Raven shivered. He turned to her and Beast Boy. "My dear sister, I truly thought you were smarter than this. Yet you believed every lie I told you, and now you allow that boy to cling to you while the one you once loved awaits his doom. Living on Earth has made you soft." Beast Boy's eyes narrowed in anger, but Raven couldn't tear her eyes away from her brother. Raistlin casually removed a dagger hidden up his sleeve. "In our childhood, Rachel, I recall that we both spent a great deal of time reading any prophecy we could find that mentioned our father, though of course for different reasons. You wished to destroy him. I wished to free him. You may remember a particular writing that said that while many spells could damage it, only the blood of a traitor would truly break the Seal." The half-demon mage eyed Crow. "Our Crown Prince Chromeros is a traitor on several levels, is he not, not the least of which being to all of Azarath?"

"No…" Raven breathed. Crow was shaking by this point. "Raistlin, please!" he whispered.

"Please?" Raistlin cocked his head. "Are _you_ begging _me_ for your life, Crow? _You_, everyone's favorite since you moved to Gypsophila? The heir apparent to the throne of Azarath, begging _me_ to spare his life?" Raven's brother laughed. "Fool." He stabbed Crow in the abdomen. Crow choked on his cry of pain. Raven cried out as well, but Beast Boy still held her back. Raistlin grinned. "It would be so easy to just kill you, you know. I could have just stabbed you in the heart and been done with it. But I want to see you in pain. I want to hear you scream. Perhaps you'll even beg some more. _I _will enjoy this, if no one else." He drew the dagger diagonally across Crow's chest, creating a gash deep enough to make Crow shriek, but not deep enough to kill him. Raven was shaking uncontrollably, but neither she nor Beast Boy could look away. Raistlin's dagger sliced Crow's chest open again, now making an X. Crow grimaced but this time made no noise. Raistlin frowned. "That won't do at all." He plunged the dagger into the first wound and twisted it. Crow screamed, and so did Raven. "Stop it!" Raistlin glanced at her. "Soft," he murmured, and he stabbed Crow in the chest, right where the two lines met. Blood covered Raistlin's hand and stained his white sleeve, and Crow choked again on the blood flowing from his lips. Raistlin smiled as the other young man died. The Seal behind Crow's lifeless body began to glow. "At last it begins," Raistlin whispered almost reverently. Crow's body vanished, and a red-skinned hand, far larger than any human's, reached through the Seal. Beast Boy stepped back, pulling Raven with him. This time she did not resist. The hand grasped Raistlin, who panicked. "No," he cried. "No, I'm the one who freed you! Don't-"

His last words were cut off as the hand clenched, crushing Raistlin. Blood bubbled from his lips and spurted from between Trigon's- for it was his hand- fingers. Raven and Beast Boy both gasped in horror. Beast Boy tried to pull her towards the exit, but Raven was frozen in place. "C'mon, Raye!" the changeling shouted, making himself heard over the horrible whooshing sound coming from the newly created portal. "Crow's gone; there's nothing you can do! Raistlin got what he deserved! Come on!" His voice failed as the rest of Trigon came through the portal. He turned to Raven, only to stare in fear. Gone was the pale, purple-haired girl he knew so well, replaced by a being with long black hair, red skin, and black eyes. But she still had Raven's general features and clothes. "Raye?" Beast Boy whispered, unable to speak louder than that. He was ignored. The girl bowed to Trigon. "Father, I am pleased at your return." Trigon seemed to smile. "I too am pleased, Aura, servant of Death. Your own return is most fortuitous." Aura- Beast Boy could not call the creature standing before him Raven and had already let go of her hand- smiled wanly. "Initiated by your presence, Father." Trigon's eyes shifted to Beast Boy, who shivered involuntarily. "Who is this, daughter?" Aura turned around and pursed her lips. "I cannot seem to recall him. He looks weak." Trigon laughed, which sent a worse tingle up Beast Boy's spine. "He may be of some use. Here." Aura accepted whatever Trigon held out and looked at it. She smiled. "The Seeds. Perfect." She turned back to Beast Boy, who automatically stepped back. She blew the Seed at him, almost like blowing a kiss. Beast Boy blinked, and then everything went black.

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Robin paced the living room of the suite in the White Temple the Titans had been given to share. "They've been gone too long."

Cyborg rolled his eyes from his position, sprawled out on the white couch. "Man, will you chill? BB and Crow probably got there in plenty of time to stop whatever Raven's brother was planning."

Starfire watched Robin from her seat on a well-cushioned white armchair, her green eyes worried. She turned to Cyborg. "Robin has a point. If our friends were successful in their quest, would they not have returned by this time?" It was perfectly natural to the Titans that the door would open right then and Beast Boy would come in. After all, they had just been talking about him, and that was how things worked. "See?" Cyborg said. Robin turned furiously to his teammate. "Where have you been? Where are Raven and Crow?" Beast Boy just sniffed at him and snarled. He then stalked back out of the suite. Cyborg blinked. "Well, that was weird." The Titans heard screams from the upper floors of the Temple, where the priests and priestesses, including the Azar, lived. Robin swore fiercely. Before they could rush out, Beast Boy appeared at the door again. He growled low in his throat until they stepped back. A figure appeared in the shadows of the hallway.

"Good boy."

Aura came out of the shadows. Beast Boy went on all fours and crawled over to her. She petted him lazily and smiled chillingly at the Titans. "I remember you three, I think. My little pet certainly does. He knew you would get in my way and so he guarded the door. Convenient, really, since I was occupied elsewhere." Robin glared at her. "Who are you?" Aura pretended to pout. "I'm hurt, Robin. Don't you remember your dear friend Raven?" Starfire's eyes began to glow. "You are not our friend Raven!" Robin held out his hand to stop her. Aura laughed. "You're right, I'm not. Not anymore. I am now and forever Aura, daughter of Trigon and servant of Death. To whom, incidentally, I recently paid homage by killing the Azar." None of the Titans could speak. Aura smiled. "Well, I have other business to attend to. The world can destroy itself, but that takes too long. Ta!" She turned to leave, snapping her fingers to summon Beast Boy.

The Titans didn't follow.

---End Chapter Three---

I apologize for the cliffhanger, but you'll understand why when the next chapter goes up. I should be finishing that soon. Review, please, even if you hate what just happened!


	4. Morning Glory

First allow me to say that if you are a fan of If I Call Her Beautiful, Something Might Explode and you are reading this… Good for you! You actually listened to me! Yeah, I gave up on the threatening. It wasn't getting me anywhere, so I'm just going to finish the story and be content with whatever praise (or even flames, but preferably praise) I may get. I have to remind you that this is not the end of the story, and there is another chapter after this. I feel kind of bad for leaving you with something of a cliffhanger last time, but it was necessary to the structure of the cycle. The title of this chapter, **Morning Glory**, is not only in keeping with the cycle theme but also just a bit of me being sarcastic. You know the Titans will win, but winning a battle is not always glorious.

Warnings: Death, some angst, lots of drama.

I do not own the Teen Titans.

**Morning Glory**

"So we have an evil Raven and feral Beast Boy, yet we have no idea what happened at the Seal to cause it. Fun," Cyborg said sarcastically. Robin glared at him. Starfire put a hand on the Titans' leader's shoulder. "Perhaps we should investigate."

"Not a good idea. All of Azarath will be in an uproar as soon as the sun rises, and not just because the Azar is dead." Tarisia joined the Titans, sitting down on the couch next to Cyborg. She looked like she had been crying. "Trigon has been released." The Titans sat in shock, though not nearly as much as at the sight of Raven two hours earlier. Tarisia looked down at her clenched fists. "I was with Fei- the Azar- when Aura came to kill her. She told me everything after…" The Azar's apprentice swallowed hard. "Raistlin killed Crow because he betrayed him, and Trigon killed Raistlin because he was weak. Aura is controlling Beast Boy with one of Trigon's Seeds. The longer he is under her control, the more like her he will become."

"How do we stop them?" Robin asked. Tarisia shook her head. "I don't know. It's very likely that they can't be stopped." Robin looked away. "We'll find a way." Tarisia held up a hand. "Wait. The library has many, many books that mention Trigon. One of them has to tell us how to defeat him." Robin stood. "Fine. You and I will go to the library. Starfire, Cyborg, I want you to talk to the priests and priestesses. Find out whatever you can."

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The library was deserted but for the two of them, and they'd wasted nearly an hour without results. Tarisia flipped through the eighteenth dusty tome, searching almost frantically. "Robin, I don't even know what I'm looking for!"

"Anything. A prophecy, most likely."

"Here. It talks about 'the shadow that haunts our land'- that must be Trigon…" Tarisia paled as she silently read the next passage.

"What does it say?" Robin asked. Tarisia bit her lip. "The handwriting is diffi-"

"What does it say, Tarisia?"

Tarisia took a deep breath. "Trigon can't be destroyed. He must be returned to his dimension and the Seal restored. The only way to do that is for the blood of the one whose blood opened the Seal to be spilled again."

Robin frowned. "How do we do that? Crow's dead."

"Yes, but his two younger brothers aren't, as far as I know. Silvern will do it, and it doesn't have to be enough to kill him. I can take care of that."

"What about Raven and Beast Boy?"

Tarisia didn't want to answer, but Robin's stare was stronger than her fear. "Trigon's hold on Rachel won't be broken even when the Seal is restored. As for Beast Boy…" Tarisia closed her eyes. "The Seeds are connected to Aura. The only way to save Beast Boy… is to kill her."

Robin stared at the Azarathian girl. "That can't be the only way." Tarisia met his gaze. "It is. For Azarath- no, the _universe_ to live, Robin, the girl you call Raven must die." Robin turned away. "She's already dead." Tarisia looked away as well. Her gaze went to the library wall. "You will need a weapon." She lifted a sheathed sword from its hook. "I believe you may have heard of this sword. It came from Earth, and was brought here for safekeeping." She held out the sword. "Excalibur has a sharp blade, a heroic history, and no attachment to the English Crown." She winced. "Sorry. I know this isn't a time for humor; it just came out." Robin shook his head. "It doesn't matter."

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Tarisia knocked on the front door of the Blackbirds' large home. What would she say to whatever servant answered the door? How would she tell her uncle that his eldest son was dead and she needed to take the next oldest to the place where Crow had been killed? It was all too convenient that the door was opened by a fourteen year-old boy with shaggy white-blond hair and brown eyes. Tarisia blinked. "Silvern, what are you doing up?" The sun was just barely peeking up at the edge of the horizon by this time, but few Azarathians woke this early. Silvern's expression darkened. "Father was up all night, and I sat with him. Crow never came home."

Tarisia steeled herself. "He's not going to."

Silvern stared at his older cousin. "What do you mean? What happened?" As he asked, Silvern closed the front door behind him, joining Tarisia on the porch. She looked at him questioningly. "Father doesn't need to know just yet if you've got bad news; he's angry right now. If he's left alone he might fall asleep." Tarisia nodded. She then told Silvern everything. Crow's younger brother absorbed the information silently. "I want to help," he said when Tarisia was finished. She looked at him soberly. "You know that what we're going to do is very dangerous, and it's possible that both of us will be killed."

Silvern nodded. "I know, but isn't getting rid of Trigon and saving Azarath worth it?"

Tarisia couldn't help but smile. "Yeah, it's worth it."

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Robin's thoughts were in turmoil. On the one hand, he wanted to find Aura because it would mean the end of all of the horrible things that were happening to Azarath. On the other hand, he didn't want to find her because of what it meant he had to do. Beast Boy saved him the trouble by attacking. Even completely absorbed in his thoughts the Boy Wonder had sharp reflexes, so he threw the changeling off with ease. He then stared at his former friend in shock. Beast Boy now had four eyes, Trigon's signature trait. His skin also bore a slight reddish tint, strange in combination with the usual green. Beast Boy snarled and dove at Robin again.

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Tarisia stared up at the blood-stained Seal. So it was here that Crow had died. Here that Raistlin had-

"Rissy?"

Her younger cousin's voice pulled her out of her thoughts. Tarisia shook her head to clear it. "Sorry. I just…"

"I know," Silvern said. "I thought of it too, but we have more important things to think about right now. What do we have to do?"

"Well, if I read the text correctly, your blood has to be put on the Seal."

Silvern paused. "This doesn't feel right, Rissy. It's too easy."

Tarisia looked at the fourteen year-old. "This is anything but easy, Sil. Where should I…" She held out her own dagger, the one she'd picked up after leaving Fei's room… was it really only a few hours ago? Lifetimes had passed since then. Silvern took the dagger. "I'll do it myself." He quickly cut his palm and pressed his hand to the Seal.

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It took Robin exactly twenty-two seconds to break both of Beast Boy's arms, his left leg, and knock him on the head hard enough for a concussion. It was only when her "pet" was on the ground unconscious that Aura decided to approach. "Bravo, Robin," she said, actually applauding him. "I always knew you were the only Titan with guts."

Robin refused to let her comment get to him. "What have you done since we last met, Aura?" he asked in the low, silky voice any villain knew to mean extreme trouble. Aura smirked. "Let's see, I visited the palace. You'd think that two hundred personal guards were overkill for a king, but they didn't really do this one much good." Robin took a deep breath. Aura laughed and moved closer. "What's the matter, Robin? Aren't you going to fight me?"

"Yeah, I am." Robin whipped around, unsheathing Excalibur. Aura raised an eyebrow. "Pretty fancy sword you got there. It won't do you any good." Her right index fingernail grew to roughly the same length as his sword. Robin took his stance. "Let's go."

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The Seal glowed, and both Silvern and Tarisia could feel the evil in their world diminishing.

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Robin and Aura were locked in combat, clashing and slashing as only expert sword-fighters can. Finally they both stepped back for a moment, panting.

"I didn't want to hurt you," Robin said quietly. Aura smirked. "Funny. All I want is to hurt you." She lunged forward. Robin's fast reflexes didn't let him down. Aura stopped short as Excalibur pierced her chest. Instantly the red skin turned pale, and the black hair and eyes returned to their proper violet. Robin immediately pulled the sword out of her body. Raven choked, and he caught her as she fell. Behind them Beast Boy's extra eyes vanished, though he remained unconscious. Robin cradled Raven, watching as her blood ran, taking her life with it. She stared up at him for a moment, the violet eyes wide in shock. But as they closed, there was a flicker of acceptance and understanding. Robin bowed his head, and there was no one to see the tears sliding down his cheeks as the sun slowly moved higher and higher into the sky.

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Tarisia lay in bed for a long time the next morning. She could so easily remember the days when she, Crow, and Raven- then Rachel- had gotten into such trouble at school. The three had been horrible pranksters, but always they'd laughed after they were punished. Raistlin had been there too, but he had never really been part of their little group. Now it was hard to accept that the other three were dead, and Tarisia was the only one left. This evening she would also become the Azar. When she had become Fei's apprentice, Tarisia had thought she wouldn't be the Azar until she was an old woman. Of course, she'd thought then that Rachel would always be her friend, and they would be the highest of the priestesses together. But Rachel had fled Azarath when they were thirteen. Always people were leaving Tarisia behind, and now her friends had done so in the worst way, for she could not possibly follow them this time. This time she was truly and permanently alone. For this Tarisia wept now, for she knew that it would not do for the people to see their new Azar cry.

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Beast Boy watched as two Azarathians loaded the clear-topped casket into the _Rachel_'s cargo hold. His physical wounds were all healed, thanks to the remaining Azarathian priestesses. But his mental wounds… well. "And even in death she was so beautiful that they found they could not bury her. So they placed her in a glass coffin and stood watch over her, in the hopes that she would someday awaken," he murmured. Tarisia stepped closer. "What is that from? It sounds familiar, but I can't place it."

"Snow White. It's a fairy tale."

"Ah, yes. How appropriate. Rachel and I used to read…" Tarisia bit her lip. "I'm sorry." Beast Boy shook his head. "It's okay."

"No, it isn't." She sighed. "It may never be okay, but we must continue. Will you and the other Titans be at the ceremony this evening?"

"Yeah, we'll be there." Tarisia patted Beast Boy's shoulder and walked away, headed for the White Temple.

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"Long live the Azar!"

Tarisia Majere held up her hands, silencing her people's cheers. "The ascension of a new Azar has, in the past, been a joyous occasion. However, I cannot celebrate when four of the people I loved best are dead." No sound came from her audience.

"Our king is also dead, and tomorrow I will crown his successor. But I must be honest and admit that he is not among those I mourn the most. Fei was King Ward's youngest daughter and our Azar for eighteen years. From the time I became her apprentice she was both a mentor and a friend. A statue will be raised in her honor." Tarisia paused. She swallowed with difficulty, for each remembrance was harder than the last.

"Chromeros Blackbird was my cousin. We called him Crow. Only recently was he the heir to the throne. I knew him long before that. Crow was always confident, so sure that everything would go his way. That quality, unfortunately, is part of the many things that led to his death." She paused again.

"The two I speak of next are the most painful for me to remember, for different reasons. They were twins, and were born the children of Trigon. But they cannot be blamed for that. Raistlin Roth, in youth, was not always…good, or kind. He did have more difficulties than most, so I can forgive him for those years. It was Raistlin who killed my cousin and released his father upon Azarath. He was rewarded with death from Trigon's own hands. Once I did love Raistlin, and for all that he did, I would be lying if I said that I completely hated him now." The people began to whisper to each other, speculating on this apparent betrayal.

"There is no point," Tarisia continued clearly, and the whispering stopped, "in hating the dead. Next, and last to die, was my dearest, best friend. The Athar is always called Aura, and said to be ever reborn. The Aura I knew was unique. She disliked the role forced upon her and rebelled against it, including her insistence that her friends call her by her given name. Eventually she escaped the chains of her priestess-hood. On Earth a girl named Raven joined the Teen Titans, and a heroine was born. Raven returned to Azarath to repair the damaged seal that kept her father at bay. Through her brother's treachery Trigon was released. Raven was lost, and Aura in her most evil form emerged. With Trigon's Seeds and powers, Aura wreaked havoc across our city and personally murdered not only the Azar but also our King. It was discovered that the only way to stop this horror was for Aura to die. This task was undertaken and accomplished by Robin of the Teen Titans. We hail him as a hero." Tarisia bowed to Robin, who nodded. Both of them knew that killing Aura did not make him a hero, but the Azar had to at least partially cater to her audience. Tarisia returned to them now.

"My friend's real name was Rachel, given to her by her mother Arella the day she was born, before she was declared the Athar. An Azarathian starship has been given that name as well. In memory of the girl called Raven, I hereby decree that there will never be another Athar. Ever. This decree perhaps comes years too late, but I believe that somewhere Raven is smiling because of it." Tarisia wiped away an unbidden tear.

"Rather than an evening of celebration, this will be one of mourning. Mourning for those who are lost, and what they might have become. Tomorrow we shall return to tradition and celebrate the coronation of King Silvern, but for tonight I ask that you indulge a sentimental teenager. Thank you." Tarisia stepped away from the podium.

----------

Tarisia looked into the mirror on her dressing table. She looked the same as she had the day Rachel returned. But everything was so different now. She remembered how she felt four years ago, when Rachel and Raistlin had disappeared. She'd felt like they were leaving her behind, but she'd had Crow then. Now, all three of them were dead. Fei was also dead, and she, Tarisia Majere, was the Azar. Today she would oversee the crowning of Silvern Blackbird as King of Azarath. She had always liked Crow's younger brother, and though he was only fourteen, Silvern would help the people rebuild and try to pull their lives out of the ashes. The ashes Aura had created while under her father's control. But they would survive. It seemed to Tarisia that in the great history of Azarath, the deaths of three teenagers who had so much to live for would be deemed insignificant. One thing would come out of Aura's death, however. Never again would there be an Athar. Silvern had agreed to her decree, and the doors of the Black Temple were already locked, never again to be opened. She glanced out the window and saw the _Rachel_ leaving, on its way to Earth with the Titans. It was finished, for them. Tarisia still had a long way to go.

---End Chapter Four---

Sadly, that is the last we will see of our darling Rissy. Sorry, Tarisia fans! Her story is over, but she got a lot of attention at the end of this chapter, didn't she? But the _whole_ story isn't over yet, so don't get mad at me! The Titans still have to go home. All _five_ of them. Keep an eye out for the next and final chapter, **Daybreak**! Review please!


	5. Daybreak

Yes, this is the final chapter of this story. And about the whole Robin-killing-Raven thing... I know no one asked, but I'm going to explain it anyway. Taken from a purely logical perspective, Robin is the only Titan that could have killed Aura. I don't mean physically, but mentally. Robin was the only one who could actually make himself do it, no matter how horrible the task. That aside, the end of The Raven Cycle.

I do not own the Teen Titans.

**Daybreak**

Whiteness. She knew it well enough, though darkness was easily more familiar territory. She knew who she was and what she had done. She knew how she had died, but she did not blame the one who had killed her. He would blame himself; he did not need her blame on top of that. She knew that her death had, due to the path she had taken, had been necessary. The most recent memories weren't the ones that hurt. When Raistlin had…well, all of her memories of her brother were painful. As were many of those of Crow and Rissy, if only because they were linked to her brother. Crow's death was particularly touchy, but she didn't dwell on it. No, it wasn't thoughts of Azarath that hurt her so. Life as Aura had not been much of a life. It was when she became Raven that she had truly begun to live, and love.

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Titans Tower had fallen into disrepair since the Teen Titans had disbanded. They had told each other and themselves that the separation was for the best. All of them had changed following the… incident. The door to Raven's room remained closed, though that was nothing new. But now it wasn't because the room's occupant wanted privacy. It was because the occupant was dead. They all avoided mentioning it, but facts were facts. Worse, so many things in the Tower seemed to evoke Raven's memory. Beast Boy didn't make jokes anymore, because they weren't followed by sarcastic comments that were actually funnier than the jokes. Not to mention that he wasn't in the mood to joke, and none of the Titans in the mood to hear it. Robin was moodier and broodier than usual, even worse than he'd ever been about Slade. Cyborg wandered aimlessly around the garage, picking something up and fiddling with it, only for the object to fall apart in his hands. Starfire was so out of it that her puddings were actually edible. So they decided to separate. They wanted to leave behind the painful memories, though they didn't say that. Robin headed to Gotham. Starfire went back to Tamaran. Cyborg stayed at the Tower. No one knew where Beast Boy went. With its saviors gone, Jump City also began to deteriorate.

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Robin stared, unable to believe what he was seeing. "Raven…" She was alive, and whole, and… smiling?

"Hello, Robin."

"Raven, I-"

Raven shook her head. "Don't. You have nothing to apologize for. Not to me."

"But I… I killed you."

Raven smiled softly. "You did what had to be done, Robin. You did the right thing, and I can't blame you for it. There are more important things happening right now."

Robin frowned in confusion. "What things?"

"You abandoned the people who depended on you, Robin. You left them when they needed you most."

"So you're not going to blame me for killing you, but you're going to blame me for whatever's going on in Jump City?"

"To keep things simple, yes. I don't have much time, Robin. You aren't the only one I need to talk to tonight."

Robin shook his head. "I still can't believe I'm seeing you here. Alive."

Raven laughed. "I'm not alive, Robin. This is a dream, and when you wake up, you'll be back in Gotham and I'll still be dead."

"Then what's the point of… this?"

"The point, Robin, is that the world needs you. The Titans need you."

"The Titans no longer exist. The world doesn't matter anymore. The _universe_ doesn't matter anymore. I wanted to save you and everyone else, and all I've done is make things worse."

"Listen to me, Robin, and listen well: You did save me. I couldn't be here now if you hadn't. As for the Titans, no matter how far apart we all are, we are still the Titans. We will always be the Titans." She paused. "I have to leave now, but remember what I said. Once a Titan, always a Titan."

"Raven, wait!"

But Raven was already gone.

--------

Beast Boy looked sadly at the girl holding his hand. "I hate this." She turned to him. "Why?"

"Because I know in a minute Robin will show up, and you'll die. Then I'll be standing by myself in front of the memorial the city put up for you, and it'll be raining, just like it was on the day of your funeral. And then I'll wake up and be back in hell for another day, until I fall asleep and it starts all over again."

The girl looked sad too. "Is that what you dream every night?"

Beast Boy nodded. "I miss you, Raye."

Raven leaned closer to him, and he wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "I miss you too, Beast Boy. I only hope that you can forgive me for… for everything I did."

Beast Boy shook his head. "That wasn't you. Besides, it's myself I can't forgive."

Raven looked at him, surprised. "Why? You didn't do anything."

"Exactly. I didn't get you out of that place before Trigon emerged. I keep feeling that if I had, none of what happened would have."

Raven hugged Beast Boy. "The things that happened on Azarath were not your fault." He smiled at her, as though he didn't believe what she said. Raven made a face. "This isn't your other dream, you know. It's really me."

Beast Boy stared at her. "It's really you?"

"Yes."

"Then there's something I need to do."

Raven frowned at him. "What?"

Beast boy leaned even closer. "This." He kissed her on the lips, a full deep kiss. It was Raven who pulled back first. She looked at Beast Boy seriously. "I want you to go home."

He shook his head. "What home?"

Raven looked stern. "You know what I mean."

He just held her tighter. "Will I see you again?"

Raven smiled wistfully. "I don't know. I hope so."

"I love you," Beast Boy murmured as Raven faded away.

Beast Boy woke up then, and he stared at his empty arms as a single tear trailed down his face.

--------

On a whim, or maybe something deeper calling to him, Beast Boy returned to the Tower the next morning. He was surprised to see Robin already standing at the entrance, staring at the giant T that was run down enough to be more intimidating than inspiring. "Hey," Beast Boy said softly. Robin didn't turn around. "Hey."

"She came to you too, didn't she?"

"Yeah."

Beast Boy smiled ruefully. "I don't know how it would help, but I had to come here today. I had to see her."

Robin turned and smiled at his former teammate. "Me too."

--------

Beast Boy and Robin stood in the basement of Titans Tower. Cyborg had let them in, but he refused to come down with them. Raven's coffin sat in front of them, largely unchanged. It was a little dusty, and when they wiped the dust away they saw that Raven's hair had grown since they'd left. Now it reached her shoulders. "I read somewhere that it does that," Beast Boy said. "That hair keeps growing, I mean."

Robin looked at the changeling. "You read?" They both smiled a bit, and it was almost like old times.

--------

Raven struggled to open her eyes, but her lashes seemed locked together, and they just wouldn't separate. Her mouth wouldn't open to release her anguished, blissful scream. She was breathing, but her lungs ached with every tiny breath. She could feel her heart beating, and that hurt too. Her body had grown stiff in her…absence. Yes, she'd been gone, but she was back now, somehow. For the first time in almost a year, Raven was horribly, gloriously alive.

--------

_Thump_. The two Titans turned back to the coffin in surprise. Raven hit the lid again, though it was harder this time. Robin's eyes, hidden as always by his mask, widened. Beast Boy rushed forward and unlocked the coffin, lifting the lid. Raven gasped and sat up. The two boys stared at her. She stared at them. Suddenly they were helping her out of the coffin. Raven turned to look at it, the metallic box that served as her only proof that she had truly died. She couldn't stand, but she found she didn't have to. Robin and Beast Boy held her up as they hugged her, and Raven found that she didn't mind being hugged.

--------

Everything else went quickly. The next few days were a blur to Raven as Starfire was contacted and returned to the Tower immediately. The Teen Titans resumed, to all appearances, their "business" as though nothing had happened. The citizens of Jump City were certainly grateful. But every time Raven tried to talk about the events on Azarath with Robin, his face darkened and he brushed her off. Starfire and Cyborg weren't easy for Raven to confide in to begin with, and Beast Boy looked so happy every time he saw her that she couldn't bring herself to mention it around them. So Raven was forced to keep her feelings to herself. She'd always done that anyway, but it was very frustrating when she wanted to share and no one would let her. So Raven did the same thing they all were doing. She returned to her old habits and spent most of her time in her room. Only she didn't meditate so much in there.

--------

"Are you happy, Raven? This is what you wanted, isn't it?"

Raven sighed. "I don't know, Iori. Everything you said about how I wasn't supposed to die when I did made sense, but… I don't feel like I belong here anymore."

The white-winged Angel giggled. "It isn't that you don't belong, Raven. You aren't doing what you're supposed to be doing. Or should I say who?" Raven looked shocked and scandalized, which made the Angel laugh harder. "Don't look at me like that. You didn't think you were brought back for your own virtues, did you? Your children are going to save the world someday, but you have to be here to bring them into it."

"You're insane. Psychotic, even."

Iori shrugged. "You can have that opinion, but it doesn't change the facts. If your daughters aren't born, the world will be destroyed far sooner than it needs to be."

Raven thought about this. "Wait, the world _is_ going to be destroyed?"

The Angel, whose hair matched her wings, rolled her eyes. "Eventually, yes. Read a Bible sometime. Anyway, I'm not saying you have to go out and bang him right now. But you could at least make some effort in the relationship department."

Raven raised an eyebrow. "One: I have no intention of banging anyone. Two: I don't know who this guy I'm supposed to be with is."

Iori sighed exasperatedly. "Yes, you do."

"No, I don't, because you didn't tell me."

Iori blinked. "I didn't?" Raven shook her head. Iori looked thoughtful. "Hmm. Well, it's Beast Boy."

"You're insane. Psychotic, even," Raven repeated.

"Hey, I don't pick and choose things. You made your own destiny. Besides, I saw how you two were in that dream. I don't see what the problem is." She chose that moment to disappear, leaving Raven sitting in stunned silence. Indeed, what was the problem? Her thoughts instantly turned sarcastic. Oh, maybe it was the whole _intimacy_ thing. Kissing, marriage, lifelong commitment… that was mostly what she had issues with. And sex. That too. Sex with Beast Boy… Raven shuddered. She was _so_ not ready for that image.

--------

The next day Raven called a "family" meeting. Usually it was Robin or Cyborg who called such meetings, often about something in the Tower that had been broken/disappeared/exploded. So naturally all of the Titans were confused as to why Raven would call a meeting. They assembled in silence, largely influenced by the steady almost-glare she was giving her four best friends in the whole wide world.

"We are going to talk," Raven said calmly, "and none of you are going to get out of it or try to change the subject." The others shifted uncomfortably, but Raven ignored their discomfort. "I am tired of pretending that Azarath never happened and that things can go back to exactly the way they were before. They can't. So we're going to talk about it. We're going to get all of our feelings out in the open, because I'll be damned if I'm going to go another minute trying to keep absolutely everything to myself!"

Her fellow Titans looked shocked at this mild outburst. Beast Boy pleaded with Raven with only his big green eyes. She looked calmly back at her friends. "Even if we don't talk about it, it won't go away. Isn't it better to get it over with?" She looked directly at Robin. The other Titans also turned to their leader.

Robin sighed. "Okay. Let's talk."

---End Chapter Five---

I know that seems like a cliffhanger, but it's not. That's really the end of the story. Iori seems random, huh? She was from another thing I was doing a long time ago. I was going to write her out, but I just love the conversation she and Raven had, so she stayed. …The thing with Raven and Beast Boy didn't really go anywhere, but that wasn't really the purpose of the story, so there. Thank you for reading, and thank you to those of you who reviewed. Look for my next Titans story, The Snow Queen, coming early next year. Go to my profile for the info on that, and I'll see you then!


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